Part I - Entering Your Assessment

1. Open File

For each new client, open the application by clicking the on the “CANS-F Assess and Plan for Change” file on your desktop (or wherever you have saved it). A copy of this file can be downloaded from this link.

*On some computers the "Enable Content" button will appear at the top of the screen after opening the file. This is a security feature for files that include macros. There are absolutely no security risks associated with using this application. Click "Enable Content" to continue.

2. Enter Info into Face Sheet

After opening the file, several worksheets are available at the bottom of the screen. Start by entering information into the “Face Sheet”. Using the text fields, you can enter critical information including: the Famlink Case ID, CA Social Worker, Phone Number, Address, Agency, and Service Provider.

3. Face sheet – Dropdowns

The Face Sheet has a series of drop downs and open text fields. Using the drop downs, you can select your Service Type and Office.

4. Face Sheet – Enter Assessment Dates

Enter the date (MM/DD/YY) for up to three assessments in the DATE OF INITIAL/SECOND/THIRD ASSESSMENT fields.

If you do not have a corresponding assessment to enter, simply leave those fields blank.

After you have filled in dates, to check how many assessments you have opened up, you may click on the "Assess" button towards the bottom of the page to see all the assessments available in this form. Note that the number of assessments responds directly to the number of dates entered on the Face Sheet. Navigate back to Face Sheet by clicking the "Face Sheet" button at the top of the page.

5. Face Sheet – # of Caregivers and Children

Enter the number of caregivers and youth included in your assessment into the fields provided.

Click the "Assess" button towards the bottom of the page. You will notice that the number of Caregiver/Child domains responds directly to the number of caregivers and children entered on the Face Sheet. You should see a domain for each youth and caregiver in addition to the two family domains (Family Functioning and Caregiver Advocacy) that were already there.

6. Rate and Describe Items

You are now ready to enter the assessment information. For each assessment you need to:

identify the rating for each item,
offer a brief description where needed, and
identify strengths you will use in your plan and strengths that you plan to build with the youth and family.

Ratings can be entered using the drop down box or by typing into the field.

Not all strengths are available for rating. (Ex. “Family Conflict”, a family that manages conflict well might have a strength in “Family Communication” or “Parental/Caregiver Collaboration”, not “Family Conflict”). Only identify the strengths you plan to use or build by selecting “yes” from the drop down, the others strength fields can remain blank.

The comment field will turn red for actionable items rated either a 2 or a 3, indicating that a brief description should be entered.

To change your view of the Assessments, use the "Zoom in" and "Zoom in" at the top of the screen.

To show/hide comments click the "Show/Hide Comments" button at the top left of the screen.

7. Enter Caregiver and Child Names

For caregiver worksheets, enter the caregiver’s name before entering the caregiver ratings.
For youth work sheets, enter the youth’s name before entering the youth ratings.

8. Planning Sheets

When you have completed all the assessment worksheets, you are ready to begin planning with the youth and family.

If you’d like assistance with the planning process, click on the "CANS-F Summary Sheet" button on the Face Sheet. The “Summary Report” includes all of the needs identified as ‘actionable,’ the strengths identified as ‘useful,’ the strengths you plan to build, and narrative about the family’s goals and strengths.

9. View Reports

To view family-level progress reports, click the "Reports" button on the Face Sheet.

There are three different pages with reports for:

Family Reports: Family Functioning and Caregiver Advocacy domains
Caregiver Reports: Caregiver Functioning domains
Child Reports: Child Functioning domains

All reports automatically update as assessment data is entered.

10. Print Summary and Reports

After navigating to the Face Page:

click the "Print Summary" button to print your summary sheet
click the "Print Reports" button to print your reports

The report will automatically print to your default printer. (You will need to be connected to a printer for this feature to work.)

11. Save File

Save your completed assessment by clicking the "Save File" button on the Face Sheet. Identify the folder and name the file.

Part II - Completing The Plan For Change

1. Open File to Plan for Change

Open the saved assessment file and click the "Plan for Change" button on the Face Sheet.

2. Notice Identified Needs Column

You will notice that the right side of the screen has three columns with lists of items organized into:

“Identified Needs”,
“Identified Useful Strengths”, and
“Identified Strengths to Build”.

These are the items you will use to build you plan.

3. Add Intervention Goals

To open up the number of Intervention Goals you need, click the Check Box to open additional text fields. Repeat as needed.
(The application allows up to 9 Intervention goals.)

4. Drafting Intervention Goals

Describe your first Intervention Goal in the open text field. You can select up to six CANS-F items as treatment targets, background items, and anticipated outcomes related to your Intervention Goal.

A. To select your treatment targets:

use the left side drop down to choose between “Needs” and “Strengths to Build”,
select the CANS-F item in the next column using the drop down menu just to the right of that.

As you select CANS-F items they will be appear red, with a line through the time name in the columns to the right. This is intended to help track which items have been incorporated into your plan.

B.To select your Background needs and strengths to build:

use the left side drop down to choose between “Needs” and “Useful Strengths”,
select the CANS-F item in the next column using the drop down menu just to the right of that.

C. To select your Background needs and strengths to build:

use the left side drop down to choose between “Needs” and “Strengths to Build”,
select the CANS-F item in the next column using the drop down menu just to the right of that.

5. Fill Out Action Steps

Describe:

the Action Steps,
the person responsible for completing the action step (Responsibility), and
the Target Date.

(You can complete up to 6 for each goal).

6. Go to “Additional Treatment Targets”

When you have finished entering information into the “Plan for Change” worksheet, switch to the “Additional Treatment Targets” worksheet tab. See the tabs at the bottom of your screen to find this.

If there are CANS-F items that have not been included in the plan, use the text fields to describe how the needs/strengths might be addressed at a later date or through another planning process.

7. Save File

When your plan is complete, return to the “Face Sheet”. Save your file using the Save File button.

8. Print Treatment Plan

To print your plan click the Print Plan button.